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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_the_VictoriousEric I the Victorious Old Norse: Eiríkr inn sigrsæli, Modern Swedish: Erik Segersäll, , was the first
Swedish king about whom anything definite is known.
[1]Referring to Eric the Victorious as Eric VI is a later invention. The Swedish kings
Erik XIV and
Charles IX took their numbers after studying a highly fictitious History of Sweden.
[2]His original territory lay in
Uppland and neighbouring provinces. He was victorious over an invasion from the south in the
Battle of the Fýrisvellir close to Uppsala. Reports that Eric's brother
Olof was the father of
Styrbjörn the Strong belong to the realm of myth.
[3]The extent of his kingdom is unknown. In addition to the Swedish heartland round lake
Mälaren it may have extended down the
Baltic Sea coast as far south as
Blekinge.
According to the
Flateyjarbok, his success was due to the fact that he allied with the peasants against the nobility, and it is obvious from archeological findings that the influence of the latter diminished during the last part of the tenth century.
[4] He was also, probably, the introducer of the famous medieval Scandinavian system of universal conscription known as the
ledung in the provinces around Mälaren.
According to
Adam of Bremen, Eric allied himself with the
Polish prince Boleslav to conquer Denmark and chase away its king
Sweyn Forkbeard. He proclaimed himself the king of
Sweden and
Denmark which he ruled until his death which would have taken place in 994 or 995.[
citation needed] Adam says that Eric was baptised in
Denmark, but later returned to the
Norse gods.
[1] Adam of Bremen gives
Emund Eriksson as Eric's predecessor.
In all probability he founded the town of
Sigtuna, which still exists and where the first Swedish coins were stamped for his son and successor
Olof Skötkonung.
Sagas
The
Norse sagas relate that he was the son of
Björn Eriksson and that he ruled together with his brother Olof. He married
Sigrid the Haughty, the daughter of the legendary Viking
Skagul Toste, but would later divorce her and give her
Götaland as a fief. According to
Eymund's saga he took a new queen, Auð, the daughter of
Haakon Sigurdsson, the ruler of
Norway.
Before this happened, his brother Olof died, and a new co-ruler had to be appointed, but the Swedes refused to accept his rowdy nephew Styrbjörn the Strong as his co-ruler. Styrbjörn was given 60 longships by Eric and sailed away to live as a Viking. Styrbjörn would become the ruler of
Jomsborg and an ally and brother-in-law of the Danish king
Harold Bluetooth. Styrbjörn returned to Sweden with a major
Danish army, which Eric defeated in the
Battle of the Fýrisvellir at
Old Uppsala.